Memories are a treasure, no one can steal. Death leaves a heartache no one can heal – Unknown (from an Irish headstone)
An Iroko has fallen
Its shadow once stretched across the village green
Gathering children, elders, and dreamers
Beneath its patient crown
When I heard about the death of John Keane, I said to myself another John associated with Bauchi Diocese has died again. Why another John? I asked this question because I recollected the following sad events in Bauchi Diocese:
Prior to Bauchi’s 1996 separation from Jos to become an Apostolic Vicariate and eventually a diocese, Fr. John Gibbons, a diocesan priest from the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland, who was working in Bauchi got killed in an accident while travelling from Azare to Bauchi. His final resting place is in St. John’s Cathedral. In fact, what is called St. John’s Cathedral today was called St. Michael’s parish. The church was renamed to honour the late priest. The second John to die is no other than the first Bishop of Bauchi Diocese, John Moore SMA. The third John to die is the second Bishop of Bauchi, Malachy Goltok John. I included him because his surname is John. Then Catechist John Daniel, who served at the Cathedral for decades is the fourth. The fifth is Fr. John Tanko, a classmate of mine who passed away in February of this year. Then now John Keane.
I first met John Keane, in 2001, while serving as a seminarian on pastoral year apostolic work in St. John’s Cathedral. He spent a short time at the Cathedral awaiting his appointment as Parish priest of St. James Gombe. His height impressed me, and I wished I had his height. Three years later, in 2004, I was assigned to him as seminarian on apostolic work. He sent me to the outstations, Talasse, Dadin Kowa, and Kuri. It was at Kuri that I almost got drowned in the Kuri River. I kept the near-drowning incident to myself because I was afraid, he might think I do not like village apostolate. However, the Kuri Catechist, came to see him and informed him about the incident. He called me and was empathetic. Two years later, in 2006, I returned to him as a deacon, and after my priestly ordination in 2007 he organised my first Mass.
Bishop John Moore named me the pioneer parish priest of St. Theresa’s Tunfure, which was carved out of St. James in 2008. Once more, I found myself near John, on arrival he presented a Chalice to me. He assured me that the doors to his house will always be open for me. His house became mine and mine became his. Most times we ate together. It became hard for me to avoid going to his house often, as he would call me over the phone and ask, “Where you?”
John occasionally offered me cartons of bottled water and a bag of rice. It was helpful as my Sunday collection was 3000 Naira then and less when it rained on a Sunday morning.
Bishop John Moore sent me to Ireland in 2009 to study at Griffith College, Dublin. John offered me fifty euros and advised me to visit his county, Kerry, which he described as “the most beautiful part of Ireland”. While in Ireland, I called him one day to tell him that Fr. Colum O’Shea SMA had taken me to see a stunning cathedral at Cobh, Diocese of Cloyne, County Cork. He said to me, “wait until you visit the Cathedral at Killarney in Kerry,”. I decided to go on a tour and sightseeing around County Kerry, known as “the ring of Kerry.” I visited the Cathedral in Killarney, then travelled to Dingle and finally Milltown, the town where John was born. When I sent him the pictures, he was overjoyed and told me, “You can now decide between Dublin, where John Moore is from, Cork, where Fergus is from, and where I am from.” Having seen over 80 percent of Ireland, I concur with him that County Kerry is the most beautiful among the places I visited and John was a proud son of Kerry.
While in Ireland, John introduced me to SMA British province, which I visited in 2010 from Ireland. Shortly before I completed my studies, I informed him that I would be travelling to the United States to visit friends and to attend an academic conference for prospective students at Howard University in Washington, DC. His reply was that he heard rumours that I had no intention of returning to Nigeria after studies and with my trip to the United States, is this a confirmation of the rumour? I promised him I would return to Nigeria in which he said, “I believe you”. I returned in November 2010, and he appointed me parish priest of Our Lady of Loreto, Fadaman Mada.
My home became his home once more, and his home became mine. He came to my house all the time. It is no surprise to me that so far 28 parishioners of Our Lady of Loreto have either called or messaged me to express their condolences since his death. Two parishioners sent me the photos we took with him when I invited him to bless the grotto of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the parish in his capacity as Diocesan Administrator. To make sure John gets the dishes he enjoys while in my house, my cooks received their training from him in his house at Gombe.
The admirable thing about John was that as good as he was with his missionary tasks, so was he skilled in ordinary chores like cooking. My cooks came to me well trained by John in cooking various intercontinental dishes such as Shepherd’s pie and other treats he enjoyed.
John occasionally gave me counsel, and did it with such wisdom and humour that it stayed with me till today. A phrase like “Say nothing” which implies speak less and listen more to avoid being misquoted by adversaries was one of John’s skilful ways of impacting wisdom. Later I got to know from another Irish friend that people from Kerry keep a lot to their chest.
Working with John as Administrator and myself as Chancellor was incredibly simple and easy.
If John assigns you a role, he lets you accomplish it without interfering. He only calls your attention when anything goes wrong. This is not to say my relationship with John was without disagreements. In fact, we had so many but remained friends. He is incredibly organised, consistently on time, and an excellent administrator. I oversaw his immigration residency permit and six months before the expiration of his visa, he would transfer funds to my account to go to the bank and purchase the immigration forms ready to renew his visa when the time elapses.
John, myself, and Fr. John Tanko frequently met either at my house in Fadaman Mada or at the home of the late Bishop which jokingly he called his Castel Gandolfo. The two Johns have gone now, same year, within the space of 8 months leaving me behind in this valley of tears. What a terrible year for Bauchi Diocese, just like 2010 and 2015. I want to let John Keane and John Tanko know that they cannot start lunch without me; “hold on until I arrive”. There will also be no meeting before my arrival as I am printing the agenda and compiling the minutes. I will see you both when the fullness of time has come.
Regarding punctuality, if John tells me, we will be travelling by 6am, I am always prepared by 5am. He enjoys travelling early to beat the checkpoints. Alex the driver will be up by 4am to get the car ready and when John comes out by 5am without seeing me for the journey he earlier told me to begin by 6am, he will yell, “Where you?”.
The neatest person I have ever met is John. When he visits my house, he compliments me on how well I keep things organised, but he considers everything in my house to be outdated, including my TV, generator, air conditioners, and kitchenware. The only thing he never told me is that my German Shepherd dogs are old. Occasionally he gave me money to replace items he thought were out of date and instructed I should get rid of the old ones by saying “Throw it away Ko” a phrase which is a combination of English and Hausa Languages. John paints his house at least 2 times a year and advised I should do the same. I disagreed, as I lacked the funds.
Bishop Hilary asked me to proceed for my doctoral studies in the UK in 2019. I lived with the SMA Fathers for 5 years. My education at the University of Salford in Manchester was covered by SMA Fathers, totalling more than 40,000 pounds (equivalent of 80 million naira), in addition to monthly allowances, food, accommodation, visa renewal fees and airline tickets. John is a member of the British province where I received this generosity.
Whenever, John is coming to the UK for his annual vacation, he asks me to go and purchase some clothes for him before his arrival. He would tell me, “Go to Slaters Ko!!!” and get me so and so. Slaters is his favourite clothing store. If he chooses to switch stores he tells me, “Go to Marks and Spencer’s Ko!!!” Getting his size is a nightmare as his size keeps going up from 3X to 4X. Sometimes the clothes would not fit him, so I had to return them.
John was on holiday in the UK in June this year, and we went to lunch together. I travelled to Nigeria in July, and he graciously offered me his car to use before his return in August. John was incredibly generous. I had used his car while on holiday in Nigeria in the past. When he returned to Nigeria, I visited him in August as I always do and I said Masses at his parish, St. James. He requested I spend more days at his house, but I had other engagements. I had no idea that it would be our final encounter on this planet. Recently, when I learnt he was sick, I tried calling him, but he was neither picking the calls nor returning them, unlike him. I made inquiries and got to know that he was in discomfort and not responding to calls. I sent him a message assuring him of my prayers for his health, in which he replied immediately: “Please pray for me, I need it”.
John, I have many questions and I know I will never get answers. I can only wish that you enjoy eternity on the other side with the other Johns. Adieu Papa. May the angels light your path. May your heart truly be at peace.
Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis
Fr. Andrew Batare PhD
St. Lawrence’s Parish, London
Archdiocese of Westminster, United Kingdom.
